


Yellow

by SometimesRaven



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: Acceptance, Bittersweet, Father-Daughter Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Original Character Death(s), Original Character(s), Reminiscing, Self-Indulgent, Songfic, purposefully unnamed daughter of the doctor, so y'all can self-insert with me lmao
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-15
Updated: 2019-10-15
Packaged: 2020-12-16 15:16:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21038318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SometimesRaven/pseuds/SometimesRaven
Summary: Look at the stars, look how they shine for you...The Doctor says a final farewell to a loved one.





	Yellow

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by Jodie's cover for Children in Need https://youtu.be/8D6vk9lp84c

The sky was beautiful tonight. Not that it often wasn't, but The Doctor had picked one of the most beautiful viewpoints on Earth to see it this time. The stillness was blissful; a calm made all the calmer by the soft purr of her TARDIS behind them, as the last of the sun's light dipped below the horizon. The darkness came alive in mere moments, twinkling with fireflies and the cosmic wonder of the stars above, searing bright pins in the darkness marking a map of endless waypoints. It was perfect.

_“I carry them with me: what they would have thought and said and done -- made them a part of who I am."_

Smiling into the night, The Doctor looked down at the small wooden box they held. It was intricately carved with patterns of flowers interlaced with symbols of protection, and it thrummed under their fingers in perfect synchronicity with their ship. Most importantly, it was all they had left of their daughter.

_"So even though they’re gone from the world, they’re never gone from me.”_

How long had it been? They didn't like to keep count, but it must have been a few decades at least. Maybe a couple of centuries. It was hard to tell. All they knew was that it was time to let go. 

"How many times have we done this, eh?" they hummed out loud, running a thumb gently along the box's carvings. "You and me, looking at the stars, talking-- _well. _Me talking at you while you get shouty and then try to run away and then make a home somewhere on Earth and come back a couple of decades later and--" They caught themself with a frown, shaking their head after a moment. "Come to think of it this is nothing like that, ignore me. Point is, this is just like old times. Saying goodbye. Let's make this one permanent, yeah? For your sake."

Their voice shook, just slightly, and they responded with a wider grin, lifting their eyes to the stars again. "Look at them all. How many did we see together, you and me? Must've been at least eighteen thousand. Maybe eighteen thousand and twenty five. Probably more." Leaning in, they murmured close to the box, "Would you like to see them again?"

Prying the box open, The Doctor gazed at its contents with sad eyes. _Ashes_. "I know this isn't how you'd've done it, but well... I don't think you'd want to be stuck in a box listening to your dad going off on one every day, either. At least this way you get to see the stars again."

The ashes caught in moonlight as they were scattered, almost glittering as they were carried on a breeze. The Doctor watched them for a moment, quietly pulling out their sonic screwdriver and pointing it back towards their TARDIS. At once, the ashes were caught in an invisible force, swept upward as if drawn up by an invisible vortex of wind. Pretty soon they would reach the upper atmosphere, and be caught in orbit, forever encircling this beautiful, fragile world their daughter had loved and loathed so deeply. 

They didn't say goodbye. Goodbyes were overrated anyway. They merely watched as the last embers of their daughter's life scattered and shimmered in a wild dance of final freedoms. Then, as the stillness slowly returned, and the Doctor was left with nothing but an empty wooden box and teary eyes, they did what they so seldom did; something they knew their daughter would have wanted. 

They sang.

\--

_ Your skin, oh yeah your skin and bones,_

_Turn into something beautiful_

_You know, you know I love you so..._


End file.
